My first gig of the term back in Cambridge marked the arrival of the much-hyped Villanelle, hosted by Alt Music Society’s participation with the Punchbag university tour. Skyrocketing onto the indie scene with lead single ‘Hinge’, the band are set to tour accompanied at universities by one student band.

Taking to the stage first was Cool Ant (definitively not Cool-Ant-band as their instagram might suggest) who unsurprisingly drew the biggest and most enthusiastic crowd for the evening. With a pleasant take on twee, employing the sharp guitars of Patio, and the super soft vocals of Heavenly, Cool Ant are undeniably one to watch out for this term amongst the student bands of Cambridge. Highlights of their set for me included a particularly moody ‘Femme Fatale’ cover and a dreamy song about the beach as (after my own heart!) half of the band’s members are from the seaside. The harmonica made a welcome appearance, and I was truly glad we caught the opening act.

“With raw vocals and gentle guitars, his set was nevertheless sonically sincere and mournful”

Next up on tour support was Bino Bames of Las Vegas, as talent roster proclaimed that he’s “not here to follow the rules, he’s here to break them”. Arguably enough though, he followed every rule in the lyrical book (think the epitome of an emotional love song), but with raw vocals and gentle guitars, his set was nevertheless sonically sincere and mournful. His lead single was a number called ‘Cocktail Princess’, opens with a sure nod to Elliott Smith’s ‘Between The Bars’ (“drink up baby” transposed for “speak up baby”). But I think that’s where the Smith similarities stop… Well, that and the serious inclusion of the lyric “I taste the melon of melancholy”.

“He stood with an unmistakable Mancunian swagger, something you can’t help grinning at slightly”

Strutting onstage to assume sneering leans into the microphones, the expected air of laddish-ness had overturned MASH. Initially, I had mistaken the bassist for our focus of the evening, as he took centre stage instead of Gene Gallagher, who opted for an obscured position on the left between the wall and a column. He stood with an unmistakable Mancunian swagger, something you can’t help grinning at slightly. Villanelle have undeniably got the LOOK (ie. nonchalant, where traditions of mod cut and stuck on wraparound shades prevail), and predictably the group certainly can play their instruments. Sonically and more cohesively, I think they are still finding their way. Their guitars supersede the fuzzy vocals. But somewhat surprisingly, it took Villanelle a while to get the crowd going properly… it fell to their final two songs where mosh pits were invoked only by the presence of the band’s friends in the audience. It was at this point, I half-expected Liam Gallagher himself to half-heartedly join the mosh.

Through and through, I find myself sneering at bands the position of Villanelle… something tells me if their music was produced by a student band, no one would bat an eyelid, let alone offer them a university tour.